Angels turn to Blanton to build momentum vs. Orioles

After sputtering to a 9-17 start, the Angels are 1-0 in May and hoping the season's second month is much better to them than April was.

The Angels left a disappointing opening month behind them with an exhausting, 5-4 win over the A's on Wednesday. They'll head home to Angel Stadium of Anaheim and hand the ball to Joe Blanton to keep things rolling in the right direction Thursday against right-hander Chris Tillman and the Orioles.

Only the Astros and Marlins put up worse records in April than the Angels, who set a club record with 17 losses.

"Nobody's going to feel sorry for you," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We certainly don't feel sorry for ourselves. This is something that organizations in Major League Baseball have to deal with. The season keeps coming, the games keep coming."

The Angels' 4.91 ERA for the month ranked 29th in the Majors, ahead of only Houston. And they'll need to improve on that figure to have any hopes of contending in the American League West, and that falls on Blanton as much as anyone.

Blanton has gone winless with a 7.09 ERA in five starts to begin the season, although he did finally contribute a quality start his last time out in Seattle. Even then, however, he left with a bad taste in his mouth. The 32-year-old right-hander allowed three runs on nine hits and four walks over six-plus innings.

He's given up at least one hit in 30 consecutive innings this year, but the four free passes irritated Blanton more than anything else that happened Saturday.

"I don't like walking guys, no matter what," Blanton said. "I can live with myself when guys are smacking the ball all over the place and I'm throwing strikes. When walks beat you, you're basically beating yourself. That's something I really try to avoid, and I wasn't able to do it."

Tillman, meanwhile, will take the ball for the Orioles after his first win and second straight quality start, a strong six-inning outing in a 7-3 victory over the A's on Saturday. He scattered seven hits and walked two but limited the damage to just two runs and struck out seven batters.

"I struggled really, but [catcher Taylor Teagarden] did a good job of getting me back on track," Tillman said after that start. "It all comes down to first-pitch strikes. I wasn't doing it early, and then my offspeed stuff started coming around."

Orioles: Alomar inducted into club's Hall of Fame

The Orioles announced Wednesday morning that Roberto Alomar will be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame. In addition, former Orioles scout and executive Don Pries will be inducted as the 2013 Herb Armstrong Award winner. Both men will be honored at a luncheon at Oriole Park on Friday, Aug. 2, and their induction will take place prior to Baltimore's game against Seattle that night.

"I wasn't expecting it, I was real surprised," said Alomar, who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. "I'm honored to be part of such a group of elite people in the organization. Some great players have been inducted to that Hall of Fame. It's an honor that will stay with me the rest of my life."

Angels: Brasier called up, Maronde sent down
• The Angels optioned lefty Nick Maronde back to Double-A Arkansas on Tuesday night and called up Ryan Brasier on Wednesday to take his place in the bullpen. Whenever Brasier gets into a game, he'll become the 19th pitcher used by the Angels since Opening Day. The club set a franchise record by using 18 pitchers in April, the most in any month for the franchise since August 2000.

Maronde struggled in Spring Training then gave up three runs and walked three in 2 1/3 innings to start off the regular season, a far cry from his impressive showing down the stretch in 2012.

"We had high hopes for Nick coming out of last season," Scioscia said. "I thought he presented himself very well and pitched well for us last year. [He] had great mound presence. He had a rough Spring Training where he struggled with a lot of things, as far as his command and his breaking ball, and he just hasn't put it together."

• Alberto Callaspo could be activated off the disabled list before Thursday's game. He's been out since April 11 with a right calf strain but started for the second straight day Wednesday for Class A Inland Empire, going 2-for-4 with a homer.

Worth noting
• The Angels have gone 4-11 on the road this season but hold a .500 (6-6) record at home so far.

• Orioles third baseman Manny Machado picked up two more hits Wednesday, including a solo homer, to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. He's raised his average from .250 to .311 over that span.

• The Orioles have won a franchise-record 104 consecutive regular-season games when leading after seven innings, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Their last loss when leading after seven came on Aug. 8, 2011. It's the second-longest streak for any club since 1961, trailing only the 1998-99 Yankees (116).

Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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